10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
83,183 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2008 BMW X3 engine problems

engine problem

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2008 BMW X3 Owner Comments

problem #16

Oct 012023

X3

  • 200,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2008 BMW X3. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH in cold weather, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted; however, the contact received no response. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine); the VIN was included. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

- Smithfield, RI, USA

problem #15

May 122020

X3

  • 180,000 miles
The contact owned a 2008 BMW X3. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, he turned on the heater and became aware of smoke coming from under the hood of the vehicle. The vehicle then started to overheat, and the coolant temperature warning light and the check engine warning illuminated. The contact stated that he veered off the road and turned the vehicle off. The contact then stated that he waited a few minutes and allowed the engine to cool down. Additionally, the contact stated that he added water to the radiator after the engine had cooled down. The contact then stated that he restarted the vehicle and while driving, he noticed smoke coming from under the hood of the vehicle before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic where the contact was informed that the engine failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact stated that after several attempts to repair the vehicle, the vehicle was then towed away and disposed. The contact then stated that six years later he received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the dealer nor manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

- Philadelphia, PA, USA

problem #14

Mar 032022

X3

  • miles
The contact owns a 2008 BMX X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The local dealer was notified of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

- West Springfield, MA, USA

problem #13

Nov 182022

X3

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2008 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the dealer was contacted and stated that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that the parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

- Las Vegas, NV, USA

problem #12

Apr 022022

X3

  • 115,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 BMW X3. The contact received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that after attempting to turn on the heat, the heat failed to properly operate. The contact stated that the heat was either too low or too hot. The contact was concerned that the system would overheat. No warning lights were illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that parts were not available for the recall repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount time for the recall repair. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

- Antelope, CA, USA

problem #11

Feb 032022

X3

  • 78,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 BMW X3. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the engine was shutting off inadvertently. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled in the middle of the road. The contact was unable to veer to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The contact drove back to her residence. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted several times and informed the contact that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

- Lawrenceville, GA, USA

problem #10

Jun 262022

X3

  • 169,935 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2008 BMW X3. The contact stated while driving 25-30 MPH, he smelled a burning odor and saw smoke coming out from underneath the hood. The contact veered to the side of the road and allowed the vehicle to cool down. The contact was able to continue driving. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring. The vehicle was taken to several independent mechanics who informed the contact that they could not duplicate the failure. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) that he associated with the failure; however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 169,935. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #9

Aug 052022

X3 6-cyl

  • 170,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 BMW X3. The contact stated when she picked up her vehicle from the dealer after having NHTSA Campaign Number:17V683000 (Engine And Engine Cooling) completed while driving at 40 MPH, the vehicle started overheating. The contact was able to pull over and when shutting off and attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle would not start. The dealer was contacted, and they stated the vehicle needed to be diagnosed. The manufacturer was contacted, and they also stated the vehicle needed to be diagnosed. The failure mileage was 170,000

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #8

Jul 132022

X3

  • 200,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was smoke coming from underneath the hood and the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

- Jonesboro, GA, USA

problem #7

Jun 292022

X3

  • miles
The contact owns a 2008 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

- San Marcos, CA, USA

problem #6

May 272022

X3

  • 188,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact's daughter owns a 2008 BMW X3. The contact's daughter received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, a burning odor was detected. The contact pulled over and waited until the vehicle cooled down, then restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 188,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

- Racine, WI, USA

problem #5

Feb 242022

X3

  • miles
The contact's wife owns a 2008 BMW X3. The contact stated while driving at 40-45 MPH, he saw smoke coming out from underneath the hood of the vehicle. The contact was unsure whether there were warning lights illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact then opened the hood of the vehicle and saw flames. The contact was able to extinguish the flames with the assistance of the fire department. There were no injuries sustained. The contact was unsure whether a fire department report and a police report were filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact stated that a couple of days later, he was able to restart and drive the vehicle. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

- New Haven, CT, USA

problem #4

Dec 012021

X3

  • miles
The contact owns a 2008 BMW X3. The contact stated that while at a stop there was an abnormal plastic burning odor coming through the vent. Additionally, the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. An independent mechanic was called to her home for maintenance, and the mechanic made minor repairs and reset the computer; however, the failure returned soon after repair. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part for the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while picking up her grandson from school, she had attempted to accelerate after placing the vehicle into the park; however, the vehicle stalled. The contact was uncertain if any warning lights were illuminated during the failure. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to her home where it remained. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer had been notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts are not available. (RECALL RELATED INCIDENT)

- Philadelphia, PA, USA

problem #3

Sep 112017

X3

  • miles
The contact owns a 2008 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign numbers: 17V605000 (air bags) and 17V683000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the parts to do the repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. BMW of fort wayne (929 ave of autos, fort wayne, in) was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not available for the recall remedies. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and was not able to confirm when the parts were to become available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

- Lagrange, IN, USA

problem #2

Nov 012017

X3 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
The contact owns a 2008 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign numbers: 17V605000 (air bags) and 17V683000 (engine and engine cooling). The part to do the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. A local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available for both NHTSA campaign numbers: 17V605000 (air bags) and 17V683000 (engine and engine cooling).

- Murfreesboro, TN, USA

problem #1

Nov 152012

X3 6-cyl

  • 30,000 miles
Service engine soon light came on. Diagnosed at dealership that it was the dmtl pump that senses and gas leaks. I was told by service manager that it was out of warranty and I didn't have to replace it since I lived in pa in an area that didn't require it to work under our state inspections. The only problem was that the service engine light would be on and I would not know if something else was wrong with the car. Later I was talking to service manager at Lexus who was a former BMW service manager who stated it was covered under pa emission laws. I contacted manager at BMW who informed me that I would have to contact BMW. I registered a complaint with BMW who came back 3 weeks later denying any coverage. When asked why gentleman could not answer stating he was not a technician. I repeatedly stated from my research that pa adopted California emission law in 1996 and from my understanding it should be replaced by BMW. Once again I was told no coverage and I asked if his 3 weeks of research involved a corporate attorney. He would not answer.it appears that a BMW buyer is given 4 year warranty because after that everything is denied with no explanation as to why. This dmtl pump is a sensor for fuel leaks and could really cause a serious accident if not replaced. I believe pa emission laws understand the hazard and that is why they state it should be replaced. This problem with BMW goes back over 10 years according to internet forums.. I cannot understand why they have not been held accountable and made to correct this hazardous situation.

- Oil City, PA, USA

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